


Sexy Rat Captain

by motionalocean



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff and Humor, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-20
Updated: 2020-09-20
Packaged: 2021-03-07 16:15:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,043
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26570518
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/motionalocean/pseuds/motionalocean
Summary: Alexei signs with the Aces and addresses his supposed rivalry with his new captain.
Relationships: Alexei "Tater" Mashkov/Kent "Parse" Parson
Comments: 19
Kudos: 186





	Sexy Rat Captain

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by [this post](https://theshitpostcalligrapher.tumblr.com/post/629797027338993664/reqd-by-musketeer13-idk-if-this-is-aspirational) on Tumblr.

Kent sat on his (shared!) couch in his (shared!) apartment with a beer, feeling warm and happy as he tucked himself under his boyfriend’s arm. “I still can’t believe you’re here.”

“Believe,” Alexei said, pressing a kiss to his hairline. “I knew you would never leave Las Vegas. I’m tired of playing against you. Want to play _with_ you.”

“I know, babe. I just didn’t really think we’d manage it.”

In their eight years in the league, they’d never played in the same conference, never had the opportunity to share the ice wearing the same colors. They played each other twice a year, not counting the occasional All Star weekend. They’d never even played each other in the Stanley Cup Final, seeming to always be on alternating years for long playoff runs. 

They’d been together for three years, plus the odd hookup before then. Three years of occasional weekends, lots of texting, Skype calls, summers that always felt too short, and one Winter Olympics, again playing on opposing teams but at least living in the same city for longer than a week.

Two seasons after his Cup win with the Falconers, Alexei became an unrestricted free agent. Knowing that it was now or never, they formed a double-pronged attack, with Kent pushing management from within and Alexei asking his agent specifically to negotiate a deal with the Aces.

Everyone was skeptical. The Falconers were appalled, Alexei having never been particularly generous with his feelings towards Vegas or their captain.

“Is just hockey,” Alexei told them at his farewell party. “Is not personal. Will not be personal when Aces crush Falcs next time against, either. I still go out for drinks after the game, maybe bring new Captain, you see, he is not a bad guy.”

Jack had had a knowing smirk as he gave his congratulations. Bitty hadn’t been able to control his eyebrows. They both quietly wished him and Kent their best as they hugged goodbye.

Their first skate together left Kent exhilarated, elated, nearly crying in the dressing room when they got off the ice. Alexei had followed him, dragged him into an equipment room, and had him moaning against the door in two minutes flat.

They’d expected it, their awareness of each other as opponents on the ice translating smoothly to line chemistry, but it was such a relief and a thrill to see it confirmed. Kent had never felt anything like it. Never, not even in Juniors.

The league wouldn’t know what hit it.

“Hey, is your welcome interview posted?” Kent flipped the TV over to NHL.com and the Aces dashboard loaded. The first link was Alexei’s interview from that morning. Kent clicked on it, waving away Alexei’s protests.

Alexei and the Aces’ in-house media specialist, Stephanie, appeared on the screen. They were facing each other, not the camera. Alexei, ever personable, had a genuine smile and a playful look in his eye rather than the flat hockey stare so common in pressers.

“Alexei, I want to welcome you to the Las Vegas Aces.” Stephanie beamed at him and pushed her glasses up her nose. “There have been rumors for a while now that you were looking to come here. Can you tell us what drew you to the franchise?”

“Aces are a good team,” Alexei said. “Their play is very fast, like I used to play in Russia. I have missed it. I think it will be a good fit.” 

“You’ve had altercations with Kent Parson on the ice before. Would you say that rivalry will make this transition difficult?”

Alexei laughed. “Is no rivalry. Kent Parson plays good hockey. Is good to play good hockey with him. Our styles clash when playing against, but on the same line? Watch out.”

“How would you describe his playing style, then?”

Alexei pursed his lips, considering. “Is sexy,” he said finally, “but in a rat kind of way?” Stephanie choked a little, maybe laughing, maybe surprised. “Is ok, he is my rat captain now. Is good hockey.”

The interview wrapped up shortly after, somehow without Alexei waxing any more poetical and outing them to the world.

“Oh man,” Kent chuckled. “PR is going to _love_ you.” He wasn’t actually sure whether he was being sarcastic or not.

“They did not like, they would not air,” Alexei told him. 

“Oh god, the chirps!” Kent realized, scrambling for his phone. “Calling me your sexy rat, oh my god, the boys are going to be impossible. Why would you do this to me? RIP Kent Parson, chirped to death by his own team.”

“Would you like me to protect you?”

“Excuse you, Mashkov, I can look after myself!”

“Oh yes?” Alexei pulled him back, handling him just the way Kent loved. He brushed his free hand over the front of Kent’s sweatpants. “You so sure? Ok, passion is dead, I understand. Good thing we have guest room, no?”

Kent growled. “Oh no you don’t.” He forgot about his phone, set his beer on the coffee table, and tackled Alexei to the couch, making sure they both knew just how well they could still look after each other.

\--

The next week at practice, Swoops came up to Kent in the dressing room and handed him a box, wrapped in colorful confetti wrapping paper. Kent eyed it suspiciously before accepting.

“Do I want to know?” he asked. “What’s the occasion, dude? Is this gonna explode in my face or something?”

“Sheila found the pattern on Etsy, couldn’t resist. Consider it a house-warming gift. Since I don’t know when your anniversary is,” he added in a lower voice.

“ _What?_ ” Kent yelped. Swoops smirked.

“If you tell the team this weekend, I’ll split the winnings with you.” 

Kent sputtered some more, but had to shove the gift into his stall as Coach ordered them out to the ice.

Later that evening, at home, he and Alexei opened the box together with only a minor amount of trepidation. 

Inside the box was a framed cross-stitch, Swoops’ wife’s handiwork. Surrounded by a border of black spades and red hearts was the quote “Sexy, but in a rat kind of way?”

Kent was mortified, but Alexei laughed long and hard and mounted it on the wall above the TV.


End file.
